BILL ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 334

By: Aycock

Elections

Committee Report (Substituted)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

County chairs have received complaints from around the state about election administrators and county clerks who have issues with a county chair of either party.  Often these election authorities do not notify the county chair about meetings pertaining to elections.

C.S.H.B. 334 requires election authorities to deliver written notice of the time and place of any meeting concerning an election called by an election authority, not later than four days prior to the meeting date.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 334 amends the Election Code to require each election authority to deliver written notice of the time and place of any meeting concerning an election called by the election authority not later than the fourth day before the meeting date to the county chair of each political party that made nominations by primary election for the general election for state and county officers preceding the date of the meeting.  The bill defines "election authority," for purposes of this provision, to mean the county clerk, city secretary, or secretary of the governing body of a political subdivision other than a county or city or the authority performing the duties of a secretary under state election laws.

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage, or, if the act does not receive the necessary vote, the act takes effect September 1, 2009.

COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL AND SUBSTITUTE

C.S.H.B. 334 differs from the original by clarifying that each election authority is required to deliver written notice of the time and place of any meeting concerning an election, rather than any meeting, called by the election authority.